INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Eugene Kaspersky founded Kaspersky Lab in 1997
Cyber-security firm
Kaspersky Lab has said it will relocate some of its operations from Moscow to Switzerland, after the US government and others accused it of
spying on customers at the Russian state's demand.The company said it had chosen Switzerland for its "policy of neutrality" and data
protection laws.Kaspersky makes anti-virus software with an estimated 400 million users.It denies being linked to Russia's intelligence
services.Who has raised concernsLast year, the US Department of Homeland Security ordered government departments to stop using Kaspersky
products, fearing federal data could be compromised
A similar warning was issued in Britain.And on Monday, the Dutch government said it was phasing out using Kaspersky anti-virus software,
citing the risk of "digital espionage and sabotage"."Russia has an active offensive cyber programme focusing on the Netherlands and vital
Dutch interests," the country's Justice and Security ministry warned.Intelligence officials are concerned that Moscow is trying to hack
Dutch companies and manipulate elections there.Why the move to SwitzerlandKaspersky believes shifting servers to Zurich will help ease
concerns over laws that let Russian security services monitor data transmissions inside the country, according to company documents seen by
In a statement, the tech firm insisted it "has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber espionage or
offensive cyber efforts"."Our new centre in Switzerland will strengthen the proven integrity of Kaspersky Lab's products, (and)
significantly improve the resilience of our IT infrastructure to any trust risk - even theoretical ones," it said.Kaspersky Lab's CEO and
founder, Eugene Kaspersky, told Reuters that its data storage and processing facilities, and software assembly, would be moved to the new
"The data of our customers from the US, Europe, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Australia will henceforth be stored and processed in
"More countries will follow."
